Team Sunweb’s Bauhaus wins Stage three of Abu Dhabi Tour
abu dhabi — Phil Bauhaus claimed Team Sunweb’s first win of the 2018 season as a build up for further successes as he outsprinted two of his German compatriots, Marcel Kittel (Katusha-Alpecin) and Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) to win Stage three of the Abu Dhabi Tour on Friday.
Fourth on the line, Elia Viviani (Quick-Step Floors) retained the red jersey ahead of the Individual Time Trial in which another Team Sunweb rider, ITT World Champion Tom Dumoulin, is expected to shine.
Bauhaus said: “I wasn’t sure that I’d won when I crossed the line. It was really close, especially with Marcel Kittel coming very fast from behind. I was super happy when I was told I won. I came in good position behind Elia Viviani in the last corner and I could start my sprint from his back wheel. I’m very proud to take the win against those big names. Every win is important. This one is different from last year’s at the Dauphiné. It’s early in the season. It’s also the first win for our team. We’ll build our confidence up on the win I got today.”
Kristoff ralies from crash
UAE Team Emirates’ Alexander Kristoff continued his consistent performances on the Abu Dhabi Tour, with the Norwegian battling back from a mid-race crash to secure a top 10 finish on Friday’s stage three.
It was another chaotic bunched sprint to the line, as riders bumped shoulders, jostling for a strong position going into the final kilometre. Kristoff, who has been suffering with illness, was perfectly positioned and fought hard with his fellow sprint specialists to secure eighth place and head into tomorrow’s Individual Time Trial sitting second in the General Classification (GC).
Commenting on his performance, Alexander Kristoff said; “The crash was just bad luck. A rider in front of me crashed and their bike took away mine and I couldn’t do anything. My bike was okay for the sprint, but I didn’t feel too good today. I tried and my team mates got me into a good position and I know If I have the legs then I have a good chance, but unfortunately I didn’t manage to produce a great sprint. However, I still managed to get a good position and still be in the mix in the final meters.”
Riders will now gear up for an Individual Time Trial – new to the Abu Dhabi Tour for 2018 – as they look to pick up vital seconds on their fellow GC contenders. The route sees riders navigate a 12.6km sprint across Al Maryah Island, finishing at the Rosewood Abu Dhabi Gallery.